


C17 H9 CIF3 NO4 S2

by reyloao3



Category: Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternative Universe - FBI, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Angst with a Happy Ending, Crime Fighting, Crimes & Criminals, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Murder Mystery, Partners in Crime, Partners to Lovers, Profiling, Reylo - Freeform, Rivals to Lovers, Serial Killers, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:08:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23228377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reyloao3/pseuds/reyloao3
Summary: "Security is mostly a superstition.  It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it." -Helen KellerRey Niima is a calm and calculating Special Agent at the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit, but her nerves are shot to hell when a unique bioweapon attack in a small town pulls her out of the typical investigation routine and into working with the ever so intimidating Supervisory Special Agent Ben Solo from the Counterterrorism Division.  With bureaucratic pressure mounting, and a country completely unaware of what's at stake, SA Niima and SSA Solo put their two different ideologies together to solve the case.
Relationships: Kylo Ren & Rey, Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey & Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo
Comments: 24
Kudos: 37





	1. Chapter One

"History collects; history records; and history remembers. And it patiently waits for unsatisfied minds to discover it"- Brent E. Turvey. Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis

The late afternoon sun beats down on a small park in Annapolis, and the air is filled with the laughter and shouts of the many people milling around. Children race around and jump from the jungle gym into the waiting arms of their parents below, teenagers skate along the sidewalk, and families picnic in the lush green grass while others throw frisbees over their heads. From the parking lot, a man steps out of his red vehicle and wanders off to the park's perimeter, stopping halfway to reach down and rip some grass from the ground. As he slowly rises, he lets it fall through his fingers and watches as the wind carries the blades through the air. As if satisfied, he continues his walk up a hill that overlooks the busiest center of the park, and just observes the scene before him. The people below are oblivious as the man reaches into his pocket, pulls out a small vial of seemingly white powder, and screws the lid open, pouring the fine substance into his hand before he discreetly lets the wind carry it away too. The powder sails through the air and down to the still playing occupants of the park, undetected and untraceable- infecting their unsuspecting bodies.

The man smiles at the picturesque scene before him, and walks away, into anonymity.

Later that night, 25 people across the old town were stricken with fever, an apparent cold caught while they were out. But slowly, the symptoms worsen; coughs turn into wheezes and gags as blood works its way out of their throats, and small sores of black welt on their skin. Soon, it is too unbearable to ignore, and all rush independently to a now overwhelmed hospital. Doctors and nurses run through the halls to their new patients, escorting them to sealed off rooms and respiratory aid machines. From his office, the weathered Chief of Pathogens takes in the patient's reports as his mind flies to the unthinkable possibility of what is the cause- and he quickly takes up his desk phone to call it in to the only person he knows who could handle a situation with such gravity.

"Ben," He says, voice shaking slightly as he speaks to his stranger of a nephew, "I think we have a matter of national security on our hands, or at the very least, a very adept madman."

\---

SA Rey Niima waits as the elevator slowly rises to the floor of the BAU with her fellow coworkers, SA Rose Tico and Agent/Tech Analyst 02187 Finn, all three of their minds reeling from the almost frantic call from their unit chief in the early morning. Finn is blindingly scrolling and typing away at his tablet, while Rose shifts from foot to foot as the numbers continue to rise on the elevator panel. She glances at Rey, "What do you think the case is?", her voice holds some tinge of apprehension, as they had just finished up a huge child kidnapping case not but two days ago in southern Nevada and they all almost desperately needed sleep.

"I'm not sure, Chief was not budging on the phone call, so something tells me this is bigger than our usual runs." Rey responds, her own voice laced with the same wary tone as she thinks on the hours jet lag had cost her, and on the breakfast she had missed to be here on time for whatever briefing is coming her way. What could possibly have Chief Organa unable to discuss case details over the phone with us? Rey thinks to herself. It must have something to do with those higher up in the leadership chain, which means this is either a bad PR possibility or something far, far worse.

Finn snorts in the corner to their right.

“Oh yeah, and what exactly would you classify as bigger than our usual? Not even five months ago we were assisting Vermont Police with a cannibalism case, and those images will forever be seared into my brain.” He quips, shaking his head, eyes never leaving the tablet, “I think whatever it is involves more than just us. Chief Organa’s silence speaks volumes as it is, and there are few and far between reasons as to why she wouldn’t share details with us over the call.”

“Like what?”

“Like something she doesn’t want the wrong departments overhearing.” He states gravelly, finally raising his eyes to the both of them, so they can see his barely contained humor.

“Finn, I think that dark room you call an office has officially fried your brain into a paranoid hacker.” groans Rose, rolling her eyes. Rey only nods, but she is in agreement with her sweet friend’s sentiment, worrying that Finn has become more skittish since the Snowden whistleblower incident. Finn grew up as she did, without true parents or family at all, but he turned to hacking as a form of escapism, and hackers all had a nervous tick of looking over their shoulder. She couldn't blame him, not really, it's hard to see the government as an establishment to burn to the ground then turn and work for them when they finally catch you. But it was one of the more fascinating things she learned about the FBI when they joined, if you can't beat them- the hackers that is, hire them. A small part of her, a part that never let go of her own instinctive distrust for authority, nods its head at Finn- you never know who all could be listening.

“Paranoid hacker is actually what they put on my file, how did you know?” He chuckles, throwing an arm around her to comfort the more nervous of the trio. The elevator dings, and all three straighten their backs as the doors open to reveal the complete pandemonium waiting for them.

The Behavior Analysis Unit floor, while often busy with movement, is limited in terms of occupants. Its blue gray walls and tile floors are often only tread upon by thirty agents at a time, but now there are well over double that amount of agents maneuvering around groups with their noses in files or cellphones. And that was not the only thing out of place, Rey notices, as men and women in green camo uniforms also make their way through the crowded Bullpen of the usual back and gray suits. “What the hell is the Army doing here?” She loudly whispers as the three force their way to the briefing room, all of them looking at the crowd in confusion.  
“I’ve got a bad feeling about this” Is the only answer she gets, Finn shuffling behind the two girls to push them faster up the quick steps and away from unfamiliar faces.

They make it to the briefing room doors and are ushered in by their team’s blonde and uncharacteristically serious communications liaison, Connix, and are met with a room of few other people; their Chief, their team leader, and a slightly familiar looking older man already seated at the table. Chief Organa motions for Connix to close the door behind them as they join her at the table, with SSA Dameron standing just behind the Chief’s shoulder. All expressions were filled with grim.

There is a hierarchy to every team, Supervisory Special Agents like Dameron and Organa are the team leaders of the special agents in the room, Rose and Rey herself. And although Dameron and Organa have the same job title, Organa has years more experience anthem all as an agent and is therefore their chief, while he acts as her number two until he is ready to take up the mantle when she leaves. But, Organa is the type of person to never leave until she is forced out, the BAU is her world and it is hard to imagine her without it.

“Chief Organa, what is going on?” Rey asks as she sets her briefcase onto the wooden table, watching as her chief and the man share a look before anyone answers.

“First, allow me to make introductions” The Chief says slowly, before holding her hand out to her side. “This is my brother, and the Chief of Pathogens at the CDC, Doctor Luke Skywalker, and he has brought a most alarming case to our and the Counterterrorism Division’s attention.”. Dr. Skywalker only smiles slightly, bringing his hands in his lap as why the feeling of familiarity clicks in Rey’s mind. “Last night, 25 people in and around the Annapolis area checked into the hospital around 2am and as of this morning, eight are already dead. As of now, all we know is that they were at the same park at the same time yesterday around 11am.”

Rose reaches towards the manilla colored files on the table, flicking through the pages until her brow furrows, and eyes slightly widen, “Fever, lung failure, and black lesions…” She looks pointedly at the doctor, “Anthrax?”. 

Before he can even answer, Rey shakes her head, stating, “That wouldn’t be possible. Anthrax doesn’t kill this fast, and depending on how they contracted the Bacillus anthracis, it takes from several days to even weeks before symptoms begin to take effect”. The doctor nods, but contradicting her,

“This strain does.”

The room stares at the man blankly, before kicking into their instincts and putting them into overdrive.

“What are we doing about potential mass targets? Airports, malls, trains, etcetera?” Rose asks Organa and Dameron, her face as serious as stone but her voice almost yielding to the amount of concern fluttering her heart. Dameron only shakes his head, telling the room, “There is a media blackout. The psychology of group panic would most likely cause more injuries or deaths than this attack and without us fully knowing what the big picture is here, it would only make it worse”. He sighs as the two girls look at each other, obviously in disagreement over this lack of information sharing, “And if we did, there is the possibility that the UnSub who did this will go underground or destroy evidence.”

“Or-” Rey cuts in, “If what this UnSub wants is attention and we deny them that, they may attack again, and attack more. The public has a right to be aware and cautious.” This is what she hated, when the higher ups decided what is and what isn’t important for the public to know. She is firmly under the belief that the less the government hides,the less mass confusion or conspiracy theories are likely to run through the internet and spread like a virus as dangerous as what is in their hands right now. But those above her firmly disagree.

“Niima, if there is another attack we won’t be able to hide it, it is better we gather what we can now and give them more answers than endless conjecture. We do not want a mass exodus on our hands,” Organa solemnly says, and Rey concedes, leaning back into her chair. “The best chance we have is building this profile as quickly as we can and sharing it with those who will be joining us at the Counterrorism Division and the Army.”

And, as if summoned by the call of their titles, in walks a General clad in full military uniform, his tight trim white hair and beard contrasting his tanned skin and blue eyes. Behind him, an almost ridiculously tall figure takes long strides into the room- and Rey’s focus is all on him, feeling as though a magnet is pulling her gaze to him. His long dark hair curling to frame his sharp facial features, that were at the moment, pinched into a threatening scowl. Although he clearly had boyish features, his presence and expression commanded that of brooding confidence. As the two men sat down, his eyes flicked over the table with disinterest before landing on Rey, and she felt like a schoolgirl caught staring as she quickly averts her gaze down to the file in her hands as the General speaks.

“Agents, and doctor, I am General Kenobi and the gentleman accompanying me is SSA Benjamin Solo of the FBI’s Counterrorism.” SSA Solo only nods as the General continues, his gentle voice not matching to all the war medals and decor on his uniform, “We have already been briefed on the essence of the case, and now we must move on to what we know about this strain of anthrax.” He motions towards Luke for further information.

Luke stands up, flicking through the file until he finds the pictures of his patients, “The spores of the Bacillus anthracis are weaponized, as far as we can tell. They have been reduced to a respiral ideal that attacks deep in the lungs. It is odorless and invisible. The lesions have been doubling in size in a matter of hours, and while ugly, it is the lungs that I am most concerned about. We do not yet know how to combat the toxins once they are inside, and to be blunt, we may lose all 25 victims.”

“That is a sophisticated strain, there cannot be a large number of scientists with the capabilities to pull this weaponization off so successfully.” Rey comments, her eyes not leaving the file as she looks at the pictures of the victims. Their lesions look like terribly scabs; raised, an ugly shade of red and purple on the outer rims, and a most alarming black at the center. She does, however, feel heavy eyes on her, specifically his. She glances up at him, and sees a small amount of interest in his posture, but when he notices her looking it is as if a mask has slipped over his entire being- emotionless and unreadable. It makes the profiler in her almost excited at the prospect of a challenge.

“The General and SSA Solo will be in charge of site containment and spore analysis, his resources at the Army’s science fort will be useful in narrowing down the strain type and a suspect pool. Solo specifically will be monitoring the suspect pool and ruling out international terrorist clusters while working closely with us. Dr. Skywalker's team will be in charge of treating the victims and hopefully determining a cure. As for us BAU, we will be working with all teams to develop a profile.” Organa announces to the table, eyeing the General and the apparently now amused SSA Solo. He has a slight smirk on his features, one full of rueful ire. Rey has seen that expression plenty of times from police officers and families of the cases she has worked on over the years: it is of someone who doubts profiling capabilities. She hates that expression, but it is an excellent maker of motivation. “There is CIPRO, everyone needs to take it before we go.”

“We do not know if it is effective against this strain, but some defense is better than nothing” Skywalker adds, as everyone reaches for a cup of the pills and water. They all silently salute their glasses to each other, before taking it down and turning to leave. “Ben, if you would please stay behind for a moment to speak with me and your- Chief Organa.”

From her peripherals, Rey notices ‘Ben’ stiffen at Dr. Skywalker’s voice before turning back and sitting in his chair. As they all file out of the room, Rey is the last to leave as she looks back over her shoulder at the now annoyed SSA agent, his arms crossed as he mutinously glares at the two figureheads across the table. 

She lets the door shut quietly behind her, and as she turns back around, she finds herself now face to face with the gentle general. "You have much curiosity in your eyes, child." He warmly states, his eyes searching her face before flicking over her shoulder to the closed door. "But sometimes, it is better to let the truth present itself instead of wielding it out- something you profilers are not quite used to." His eyes find hers again, chuckling at the confusion evidently present other face before walking away. Rey stares after him, wondering if the man sounded like a patronizing fortune cookie to all the new people he met. Shaking her head, she makes way down the short steps and over to her friends waiting at their desks in the Bullpen. She comes over to them quickly, still not used to the silent of chaos of movement around her.

“Is this really happening?” Rose asks no one in particular, but it is Dameron who answers.

“It is, we’ve done our homework and we have prepared for this. We can and will deliver a profile, and catch whoever is responsible.” His tone unquestioning, years of working under Organa giving him the air of a true leader. “We know what we have to do, we cannot falter on this case.”

The four all nod at each other, each turning in their chairs to get to work. As Rey spins to her desk, she glances up at the briefing rooms blinded off windows, and wonders to herself, what is going on in there?


	2. Chapter Two

"Heat and animosity, contest and conflict, may sharpen the wits... [but] they never strengthen the understanding"- Walter Savage Landor 

There are five phases to developing a criminal profile: assimilation, classification, reconstruction, signature, and the profile itself- so far, Rey is unable to begin any without further observation to the new member of this hybrid team, SSA ‘Ben’ Benjamin Solo. This isn’t her being distracted by him either, this is only a way for her to kill time as she waits to hear back from Finn on the victims information. SSA Solo is not and will not be a distraction, only a puzzle for her to put together as free time presents itself. Curiosity, her previous foster had always told her, was her greatest sin and would get her in trouble down the road. But her curiosity and drive to solve it is also what landed her this job so, how bad could the risk be?

Very bad, she thinks to herself, remembering how her curiosity led her to a bullet grazing her right bicep. But, SSA Solo has no reason to shoot at her unlike most UnSubs she’s worked on so she’ll choose to ignore the inner voice of reason. Because her sin won out the inner battle, she begins reviewing details of him she has noticed so far; he is almost ridiculously attractive with his dark features and an equally dark pressed suit. He walks with purpose and almost an air of elegance, as if he was royalty. Typically, a man with such an aura of confidence would set off arrogance or maybe even narcissism bells in Rey’s head, but his behavior in the briefing does not match that. He did not interrupt anyone, voice his opinions outright, nor did he battle for conversational dominance and attention like most of this category would do. He did quite the opposite, in fact, she can hardly recall if he said anything at all. What does his voice sound like? She imagines deep, maybe even raspy although she did not pick up on any sensory signs of him being a smoker. His facial expressions hardly vary, and when they do, they go from empty to multiple forms of indifference. There were only two, very distinct emotions she gathered from him in that room: subtle ire and characteristically less subtle annoyance.

She supposed she could understand on some level the first one, most agents in the other divisions or anywhere outside of the BAU truly believed in criminal profiling and its results- however they had collaborated many times on interrogated terrorist with members of his Division, so he had to hold some opinion other than utter ignorance in the practice. Annoyance would make sense too, as when Dr. Skywalker called on him to stay behind, his tone mimicked that of a teacher about to lecture a student.

Ben, Rey thought with a jolt. He called him Ben, the doctor doesn’t even work at the FBI and yet he called him by his first name, and he also cut himself off before continuing to mention the Chief. Did this mean, perhaps, that the three had worked on cases together before and are therefore familiar with each other? Is there another reason SSA Solo is here at all? She frowned at that thought, maybe the big brass had decided her team wasn’t entirely fit to task on this case. The BAU had had previous issues with their profile and anthrax attacks back in 2001, that led to a public trial of an innocent man. They took responsibility of course, but they always warn that there is always a piece missing to the profile before they deliver it. But to get more pieces,they either needed a capture, or regrettably, more victims. And, it was not entirely their fault when the justice department ran away with their profile as if it were concrete DNA evidence.

“ _Rey _" calls a voice, and a hand snapping its fingers in front of her face as she stares off out the office window. “Rey!” Finn says again, louder.__

____

“Huh? Sorry, thinking about the… this strain. It’s frustratingly complex, this whole case really.” She sighs, turning to face her friend, who is holding out a list of the victims to her.

____

“And it’s about to get more frustrating, here is a list of the victims' information; jobs, addresses, social media posts, ect. Nothing sticks out and screams ‘Hit me oh terrorist’.” He moves closer to her so they both can review the files.

____

She presses her lips together into a frown, “No high profile jobs or impressive promotions?”

____

Finn shakes his head, “Nothing, not even their family members. They were all just normal people enjoying a day in the park”. 

____

“Then why would they be targeted?” Rey muses quietly to herself.

____

He looks up suddenly as the briefing room doors open, and SSA Solo walks briskly out and into the Bullpen as the chief and the doctor follow more slowly behind, all of their expressions tight. Rey narrows her eyes. “Gather in, team!” the Chief shouts, moving towards a desk Poe and Rose are already occupying. The rest of the four move in to join them. They all surround the desk, but Rey sees that the SSA maneuvered his way around the group so that he is furthest from the two siblings. And that spot happens to be right next to her. His cologne floods her nostrils, although not unpleasant she thinks woefully to herself, as it is reminiscent of mahogany teakwood and very heady.

____

“Solo, did you get any word from the CIA?”

____

“They said there are a few overseas terrorist groups with funding and capability. I suspect they will continue to work nationally while we work domestic.” He replies, and Rey’s insides twist at the deep rumbling of his voice. It's smooth, not at all raspy as she had imagined, but almost smoky. It is solid and clear, but it begins and ends with a sort of echo that reverberates in her chest. It is this fact that she decides he might be a distraction, and she tries to casually lean away from him.

____

“We need to look at anyone who could profit from this, people with patents on medication or vaccines. Finn, add that to your list please” Rose says thoughtfully, and Finn nods as he begins his notetaking for his future endeavors of trying to make a pool of suspects.

____

“And add to your list anyone who has access to weaponized spores. Universities, scholars working in bioweapons research, employees of labs with pathogen collections.” Poe adds in, expanding on Rose’s thought. “General, have your scientists begun to decode the strain?”

____

General Kenobi nods, “The additives that were used to strengthen the Bacillus anthracis’ bacterial capsules do not exist in our research labs nor are they being used at any other labs we could find.”

____

“We will be needing a list of all the scientists in your anthrax program, sir.” replies Poe carefully, expecting the tone he is about to receive in response, but his face barely contains his shock at who uses it.

____

“He just said that his people do not use those additives.” SSA Solo cuts in coldly, looking between the profiler and the general, as the latter puts his hand on the agents shoulder.

____

“Now, no matter for that, I can give our profilers whatever information or access they need.” Kenobi calmly says, slightly smiling.

____

But Solo argues on, “Well we all know what happened the last time ‘profilers’ looked into your people. I do not see why we need to repeat the patterns of the past when we should be looking at homegrown terrorism cells that have made threats like these against us”. And Rey cannot contain her bite at the way he said ‘profilers’, as if it were a joke.

____

She whips her head up to look at him, and he blinks down at how fast her body language had changed. “We can rule out his lab samples but we cannot rule out his scientists or any other employees with access so soon into this investigation. Ignoring people who have the ability and access to manipulate and weaponize anthrax such as military grade scientists would be absolutely idiotic and possibly damaging- no, um, offense General” As she glances at the man, realizing how brutally accusatory that came out. “I’m sorry, but while we certainly don’t want a repeat of the last anthrax case, we cannot ignore the fact that this suspect pool is the easiest option to rule out of our profile first.”

____

“Well we’re outranked by someone who believes in your so-called profiles” He sneers down at her, before cutting his eyes back to the group gapping at them.

____

So he may not be a narcissistic asshat, but he is a painfully arrogant one she thinks to herself as she folds her arms over her chest and looks out at the group too. Rose has a mischievous glint in her eye as she flicks her gaze between the two of them and Rey silently groans, she knows that look can only mean trouble in her future at the hands of her best friend.

____

“I will get you the list, but I do share some of SSA Solo’s sentiments, we do not want any animosity brewing, so let's try to keep this aspect as under the wraps as we can, yes?” The General smiles at Leia, almost imploring the women most known for her boldness. But she smiles back softly, and nods at him.

____

“Yes, of course sir. Rose and Poe, I would like you to accompany my brother to the hospital to try and interview the victims, get as much information as you can about that day, see if there are any repetitions. Rey, you will be joining Ben to the crime scene, there will be a hazmat team joining you there. As of now, I am unsure of what they are informing the public about the reasons for the containment so be sure to ask once you get there. And please, don’t look so pissed off” She adds at the end, rolling her eyes as the two look at each other with fixed glares and straining postures. Rey thinks she catches the beginning of a smirk on Dr. Skywalker’s face. “Alright everyone, lets begin. Finn, I will be joining you to help narrow down whatever your little devices come up with, I highly doubt this will be an easy search.”

____

The group splits off into their small partnerships until it is only Rey and the tall asshat left, neither relaxing.

____

Solo is the first to move, turning stiffly to her and extending a hand. “Since we’re partners and your Chief likes to use anything but my title, call me Ben”.

____

Rey looks down at his hand before moving away to pack up her desk, speaking as she goes, “I think not, I usually call people in our profession by their last names and I would prefer you to do the same as it is just easier”. She throws her now cold coffee into a bin before clipping her gun and badge to her belt and turning to walk out the Bullpen doors, not waiting for him.

____

“Someone’s a bit of a spitfire” Solo quips sarcastically, barely needing to speed up his pace as his long legs keep in trail with her. She practically punches the button to call for the elevator.

____

“Well would you look at that, you’re already getting the hang of being a profiler” She quips back more aggressively, stepping into the elevator as the door slides open. “If you apply now we might let you join the team.”

____

“For some reason, it doesn’t surprise me how easy it is to fulfill the requirements of one. Lets just hope it doesn’t botch our investigation.”

____

“Okay!” Rey snaps, again craning her neck to meet the eyes of the stupid mountain in front of her. “I could care kriffing less about how you feel about criminal psychology and profiling behavior, but never doubt my or any of my team’s capabilities of investigation. We were investigators before we were lucky enough to make it to this level. And if you listen to me, who knows, we may just catch our UnSub sooner than any of the brash interrogating practices your division utilizes ever could.”

____

He stares at her for a moment, lips slightly parted, and it takes a humiliating amount of effort for Rey to not look directly at them. They look absurdly soft, even as he presses them into a rueful smirk, facing the elevator doors.

____

“UnSub?” He asks seconds later, his tone more polite and softer. She can’t help but roll her eyes, turning to face forward as well.

____

“Unknown subject.” She sighs.

____

“And your profile, have you begun to work on it?

____

She relaxes a little at his questioning, still juggling with the idea of giving him the cold shoulder. She shrugs, figuring civility is their best option for their already tense day. “Not yet, it will help once I see the crime scene and hear more from the victims at the hospital, without those two pieces it will be impossible to work up anything that is not ridiculously vague. But from what we know of past attacks similar to this, I wouldn’t feel too bold to guess that this is a domestic terrorist cell rather than international. I’m sure even you would agree that those beyond our country’s borders wouldn't attack something small scale like this. And maybe that’s what I’m stuck on. I don’t know. It feels too... small.”

____

“Fair point, well made, _Miss Niima _.”__

______ _ _

She suppresses the chill going down her spine at the way he says her name. The elevator door dings open to the ground floor, and they start their walk to the parking garage in silence, Rey not at all looking forward to the probably equally silent trip to the quaint park in Annapolis.

______ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had more free time today to write this up, and I may even be able to finish Chapter 3 tomorrow? But my online classes start up Monday, so I will be having a more consistent schedule in terms of updating, maybe every Thursday? Who knows, but please pray that my university cancels midterms or something because NONE of my professors know how to teach online and I'm scared. Also, how the fuck do I italicize on this site? Im stupid.
> 
> Have a great week/weekend <3
> 
> WASH! YOUR! HANDS!
> 
> SELF. ISOLATE.
> 
> Or else.


	3. Chapter 3

"Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man."- Nietzsche

SSA Ben Solo has dealt with plenty of shit in his life. He has made international undercover runs in Russia, trekked through the Hijaz Mountains with little to no water in the blazing heat, successfully ignored his hubristic uncle since his early twenties, but _none of that _strife compared to the tiny ball of uranium that was currently driving him to a crime scene. If they would even make it there without becoming one themselves, that is.__

__Not only had Rey- Niima, he corrects himself, ripped him down to size without hesitation in their team briefing earlier, but she had apparently decided that the best way to knock his ego further was to send him into cardiac arrest. She drove like a madwoman, as if she was the one running from cops instead of being one herself. Her turns were never met with a graceful brake- and more than once she had clipped a curb without so much as a blink. He, however, was using his long limbs in the tiny space to brace himself as firmly as he could to the car's interior. And he wouldn't be surprised if he hadn’t had a concussion from all the times his head bumped the roof as they engaged the many potholes on the road._ _

__“Damnit Niima, it’s not as if we're racing to stop a bomb, could you-” He grunted as they hit another speed bump harshly, his tailbone and head vibrating simultaneously, "- _for_ _the_ _love_ _of_ _God_ _slow_ _down!_ " __

__

______She hadn’t even turned her face to him and he could see her pleasure in his discomfort, just before his eyes glanced down to her hand pulling at the collar of a black turtleneck, tugging it loose from her neck for a moment and exposing her tanned skin underneath. He was so haphazardly distracted by this motion that he barely felt the swift turn into a parking stop._ _ _ _ _ _

____“No need to slow down, we’re here.” Rey said grinning like a demon and exiting the car. He glared at the back of her legs, going to unbuckle and follow as she walked around to start their descent to the hazmat team below. One of them men came over to greet them, and Ben felt a familiar shift in the small agent beside him, her reclining back into a posture of authority as she questioned him. He knew what it was like to slip on a mask. “What excuse are you telling people as to why the park is closed?”_ _ _ _

____“Methane buildup in the sewage system” The man responded, his graying blond hair whipping in the wind._ _ _ _

____“And they believe that?” She asked incredulously, before rolling her eyes and muttering to herself as she looked around. “Oh well yeah, of course they would, why wouldn’t they?”_ _ _ _

____“It is a gross enough excuse for no one to ask further questions outside of the repair timespan, ma’am.”_ _ _ _

____Rey only nodded her head, before starting to walk further into the park. As she went by, Ben saw the older man shamelessly let his eyes wander down Rey’s body, and he just couldn’t stop himself from tripping roughly into the man’s shoulder and shooting him a glare as he walked past. The man recoiled from the brunt of his eyes, and Ben once again was satisfied at the effect his enormous size had on people. He looked back up to see Rey with her arms crossed, file in hand, and one foot tapping impatiently at him._ _ _ _

_____Almost everyone _, he thought to himself as he caught up to her.__ _ _ _ _

______\---_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______Rey handed Ben the testing paper she had snagged from a passing hazmat member, and started rattling off her findings once he had finally made it to grace her with his attention._ _ _ _ _ _

______“So, high levels tested over on that hill’s crest overlooking the park, so we can automatically assume that's where our UnSub released the attack. And there was a prevailing wind out of the northeast that day, so every airborne spore released heading away from him and hitting everyone below. A clean shot, basically.” When she got no response, she turned back to see Ben scowling at the park, looking deep in thought. “What is it?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I was just thinking about what you said earlier, about this feeling too small. This park doesn’t scream ‘target’ to me. From what I’ve witnessed and what history tells us, terrorists typically target symbols; the White House, Pentagon, World Trade Center. Don’t get me wrong, it's a nice park but it isn't a _symbol _.” As he was rattingly off his reasoning, Rey couldn’t help but agree. Everything about this was off, it didn’t fit the victimology of a typical terrorist attack.___ _ _ _ _ _

_________He sounds like a profiler _, and Rey couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You.” She said, shaking her head and not looking up from the paper. “Everything you just said was accurate, but I’m laughing because you sound like a profiler right now.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Ben sputtered, “What are you- I was just saying- NO I did not!” And he was glaring at her now, looking more than mildly annoyed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You do realize that is exactly what profiling is; picking up and studying the patterns of serial crime and fitting said pattern into the most likely offender.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“No it is not, it’s throwing darts at a guess board until something sticks.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Now it was her turn to be annoyed. “Whatever helps you sleep at night, Solo.” She replied coolly, going back to reading over the papers as he side-eyed her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Okay fine, what does your profiling expertise tell you ‘bout his choice of a target?” He asked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rey thought for a moment, then replying, “Maybe it’s symbolic for our UnSub alone? Kacynski sent bombs to the college he taught at, Michigan where he went to school, and Chicago where he lived.” Ben nodded, understanding where she was going with it,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“The Amerithrax suspect sent letters to two Pro-Choice Senators whose politics he oppossed…”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She nodded at him, “They can’t help attaching a personal motive to the places they target. Whether they realize it subconsciously or not, there is always a motive.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Alright then Niima, what the hell could this place mean to our Unsub?” They both stared blankly out at the park, mulling over reasons why a quaint place like this would attract the attention of a brutally silent killer._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Not far away, the remaining victims lie in their hospital beds, wondering the same thing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I will have to warn you, there may not be much information you can get by talking to them.” Dr. Skywalker says to Rose and Poe as they make their way through the hospital hallway. “They are on morphine to try and sedate the pain, and as of now that is the only medication helping them.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rose hated hospitals, she had since college. When Paige had been injured from a car accident, and her and her family waited on the doctors to deliver the bad news, every trait of the hospital was burned into her memory until they all felt the same. They were always too bright with artificial lighting, and smelled impersonal and sterile. It felt like there was a weight in the air that wouldn’t give until they left the building entirely, although it very well may not. Hospitals gave a bleak sense of life and death, and now as they were walking into a patient's room, Rose couldn’t stop the churning of her stomach as she looked at the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The girl couldn’t be any older than Paige when she gave into her injuries._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hello, Miss Trinity,” the doctor whispered fondly to the young girl, his entire mannerisms exuding sympathy and care. “How are you feeling today?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Trinity only shook her head, staring at the two agents behind him inquisitively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Ah, these are agents Dameron and Tico from the FBI, and they’re here to talk with you. Do you think you can do that?” And this time, Trinity nodded her head weakly, and Rose smiled at her._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Okay Trinity, I’d like to try to do a memory recall exercise with you, to take you back to the park if that’s alright.” She said to the young girl, sitting down in the chair at her bedside as Poe moved to the window to take notes on any behavioral shifts during the process. “This is a delicate process, but I will be with you the whole time and will take you out whenever it becomes overwhelming.” She looked at the girl hard in the eyes, wishing she could give her confidence over to her. “You are in control here, I am only here to guide you.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The girl closed her eyes, and began to breathe deeply._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I need you to close your eyes. You rode your bike to the park, how did the sun feel on your skin? The wind through your hair? Can you describe for me what you heard and the people that you saw?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And when she spoke, Rose felt pins and needles run along her back at the sound of her voice._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It was warm, windy. There were guys… football. Kids.” Trinity rasped, her voice airy and brittle from going unused and the abuse of her cough from the virus. It hurt to even listen to her try to formulate words. “I see free…” Trinity frowned, “Me seen fee me”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________And Rose’s heart stopped.  
“Free knee…” Trinity’s breathing began erratic as she looked at the doctor wildly, her eyes blown wide in panic. “S-sin… knee?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________The doctor tapped the two agents on the shoulder, motioning for them to make their exit before turning to the girl and smiling, “Alright miss, it’s okay. You just rest now, you did great.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Rose and Poe looked at each other in silent fear, not understanding what was going on with their victim, but feeling the tension in the air rise._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

___________"ME MOCK FEE KEY ME FREE _” The girl was screeching now, her voice shaking as she looked at the three figures helplessly, too weak to move.__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Shh” Dr. Skywalker hushed her, “You just rest. Thank you.” And they made their way out of the room, Rose refusing to turn her head back on the whimpering girl. Once they were away from the room's windows, off to a far corner by the staircase, Rose saw the doctor’s shoulder sag with what looked like age old somber. “Aphasia. The poison if infecting the parietal lobe, impairing her speech. Some of the other patients displayed the same symptoms-” He sighed, looking down. “shortly before they died.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“None of the drug combinations are working?” Poe asked the man, looking how Rose was feeling; aching and nauseous._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He shook his head, “I meant what I said earlier, the only thing helping them is the morphine. Nothing we have tried has worked!” From the distance, a loud flatline tone began blaring through the wing, and the doctor’s eyes widened as he rushed to the room. “Stay here!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Rose and Poe looked on helpless, turning to the waiting chairs along the wall._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I hate this,” Poe said gruffly, wiping his hands down his face. “It feels like there is no hope for them and all we can do is wait and watch.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“We cannot think like that. We have some of the best doctors and scientists working on a cure right now, they’ll find something.” Rose whispered, looking down at her feet. “They have to.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Author's Note:**

> 4/20 UPDATE: This pic is not dead but my GPA is so I am taking a break until finals week is over (the first week of May). So sorry for how long it is taking but I really don't feel like being on academic probation sooo wish me luck and see you soon!
> 
> Hi all! This is my very first fan fiction and I am very excited to see how people respond to it :) This is a Modern AU that is heavily inspired by Criminal Minds in terms themes and dynamic. If you recognize this case, I ask that you do not spoil for any of the readers who are not, and know that I am adding my own twists as the story unfolds. This is something I've been sitting on for awhile, and something about Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley playing badass agents makes me happy; please comment, Kudos, or even try to profile characters on your own as we go down this journey of criminology, psychology, and some slow burn office romance (bonus for the badge and guns).
> 
> My Twitter is @reyloao3


End file.
